To The Reformed...

Jon Moffitt
May 26
2 min read

This article was adapted from this episode.

One of the Most Misunderstood Topics in Reformed Theology: The Divine Council Worldview

Is it biblical? Is it Reformed? Can we hold to both? Let’s walk through it together.

A Journey Many of Us Share

Like many others, we’ve had journeys of theological development.

Jon came from a Fundamentalist, King James Only, anti-Calvinist background. Doug grew up in a typical evangelical context that didn’t take a side on Calvinism or covenant theology. Through study and Scripture, we both came to embrace Calvinism, then Covenant Theology, and eventually became confessional 1689 Federalists.

This path isn’t uncommon:

Baptist → Calvinist → Covenantal → Confessional.

Now, many are encountering the Divine Council worldview and feeling all the same discomfort they once had with Calvinism and Covenant Theology. We’re saying: slow down, listen, and let Scripture speak.

Theology Develops—That’s Not a Problem

Systematic theology wasn’t handed down on stone tablets.

Tulip wasn’t coined until the 20th century. Confessions like the 1689 were written long after the early church. That doesn’t make them wrong. It means the church responded to real issues and grew in clarity.

The Divine Council worldview is not new—it's rediscovered.

It fits in the same category as covenant theology or Calvinism: rooted in Scripture, systematized in response to need.

Reformed Theology and the Supernatural

Many today downplay or avoid the supernatural elements of Scripture. That’s a problem.

Paul says we don’t wrestle against flesh and blood but against rulers and powers in heavenly places. The Divine Council framework gives us the categories to understand that.

This is not about abandoning Reformed theology. It's about expanding your ability to read hard texts faithfully within the Reformed tradition.

Jesus in the Old Testament as the Angel of the Lord is not a fringe idea—it’s historic, biblical, and powerful.

From Black and White to Color

Here’s an analogy:

Adding the Divine Council worldview is like going from black-and-white to color TV.

You didn’t throw out black-and-white TV. Color just adds depth and richness. The same is true with adding the supernatural categories of Scripture.

Jude 5 says, “Jesus... saved a people out of the land of Egypt.” That’s not allegory. That’s literal. Jesus was there.

The Danger of Overcorrection

Yes, some take Divine Council theology too far—making it their whole identity. That’s not helpful. But that doesn’t make the framework invalid. It means we need to use it rightly, grounded in the Gospel, the Solas, and a covenantal hermeneutic.

What This Adds to Our Understanding

The Divine Council worldview helps us make sense of:

Psalm 82 & Deuteronomy 32 – heavenly beings over the nations
Genesis 6, Daniel 10, 1 Kings 22 – strange passages clarified
Spiritual warfare – Paul’s categories come to life
Jesus in the OT – not just promised or patterned, but present

We’re Not Leaving Reformed Theology—We’re Going Deeper

We love Reformed theology. We’re not revising or replacing it—we’re reclaiming its fullness.

The Divine Council worldview is a tool—not a threat—to Reformed confessional faith. It’s part of what Scripture has always taught. Let’s use it to see Jesus more clearly across all of Scripture.

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